Crown Lengthening

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about a beautiful smile? If you are like most people, the first thing that pops into your mind is the condition of your teeth. For most people, the perfect smile is all about perfectly white, perfectly straight, blemish-free teeth. While the teeth are a crucial component of your smile, they are not everything. Even if your teeth are perfect, your smile may still not be ideal. This is because your smile is also shaped by the condition of your gums. Excess gum tissue can cause a gummy smile, which causes your otherwise perfect teeth to appear small. At Sundberg Center for Dentistry, we can help you to achieve your perfect smile with crown lengthening.

What is a Crown Lengthening?

A crown lengthening is a procedure that is designed to remove excess gum tissue from your mouth, eliminating the appearance of a gummy smile. By removing this tissue, your teeth appear longer and more natural, giving you a beautiful smile you have always hoped for. Depending upon your specific situation, a crown lengthening may also require the removal of a small amount of bone to provide you with the best possible results.

Helping You to Achieve Your Perfect Smile

The crown lengthening procedure is done under a local anesthetic. Sedation may also be provided if you are feeling anxious. The length of time that the procedure takes varies from patient to patient. It depends upon your specific circumstances, such as how many teeth are being treated and whether or not any bone needs to be removed in the process.

The procedure begins with small incisions made in the gum tissue, which allow for the separation of the tissue from the teeth. We are then able to make the necessary cuts to remove excess tissue. If necessary, we will also remove bone as well. Once we are finished, we wash the gums with a sterile solution and then suture them securely back against your teeth. Results are noticeable right away.

Other Reasons for a Crown Lengthening

While a crown lengthening is often performed to improve the quality of your smile, the procedure also has other uses as well.

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Placement of dental crowns. Crowns are restorations designed to protect damaged teeth. They are made to cover the entire visible portion of the crown. Excess gum tissue can prevent a crown from sitting properly on the tooth. By removing excess tissue, we can place the crown so that it sits correctly, providing effective protection as well as restoring the appearance of the damaged tooth.

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Treating cavities along the gum line. If you have a cavity along the gum line, it can be difficult to treat. It may be harder to effectively remove all of the decay, or the filling might not be properly placed. Removing excess gum tissue can expose the entire cavity, enabling more effective treatment.

By removing excess tissue from your gums, we can provide you with a more natural gum line, and a more beautiful smile. Additionally, removing excess gum tissue can also aid in improving your oral health. Call Sundberg Center for Dentistry today for more information and to find out if a crown lengthening is right for you at (503) 928-5903.